From Scratch
by revivingophelia
Summary: As John Laurinaitis continues his quest to make CM Punk lose the title, the WWE champion thought he was prepared for anything. Except maybe this. Eventual Eve Torres/CM Punk. Fic starts about a week after WrestleMania 28
1. Chapter 1

Title: From Scratch  
Author: Karen U/revivingophelia  
Pairing/Character: Eve/CM Punk  
Disclaimer: no one you recognize belongs to me  
Rating: M/R  
Summary: As John Laurinaitis continues his quest to make sure CM Punk loses the title, the WWE champion thought he was prepared for anything. Except maybe this.  
Spoilers: April 2012, shortly after WrestleMania. Eve is not the executive administrator, and Beth is still divas' champion  
Warnings: language, violence, adult situations

Part One

He was well and truly fucked. And not in a way that was even remotely satisfying.

He knew, of course, where the idea came from. It was obvious enough. After all, it was only a little over a year ago that Edge had been put in a similar situation... Teaming with Kelly Kelly against LayCool and Dolph Ziggler in a handicap match... With Ziggler being awarded the title if either Edge or Kelly were pinned in the match. That idea had been the brainchild of Vickie Guerrero, the acting SmackDown General Manager at the time, seeing as Teddy Long had been out because of injuries suffered in a backstage attack. Apparently Laurinaitis had decided to borrow the idea, with a few changes... Changes that would ensure the plan didn't backfire on him as it had on Vickie. After all, in the end, Kelly had managed to win the match for her team on that night, helping Edge to keep his title. But in that instance, Kelly had really wanted to win... She'd wanted to prove herself. She'd wanted to help Edge.

CM Punk couldn't say the same thing about his partner.

He jerked his hands through his hair as he glanced over the WWE title that was laying on the bench across from him, the man figuring that tonight would be the last night it would be his to carry. And it wasn't that he didn't think his tag team partner wasn't capable. He knew she was. She was better than Kelly... Better than a lot of the women on the roster. Of course, she was also someone that more than likely didn't want him to win. After all, she'd helped to make sure that Team Johnny won at WrestleMania. It was unlikely that she would want to piss the man off now, and everyone knew that John Laurinaitis would be pissed off if there wasn't a new WWE champion tonight. And just to ensure that it happened... Not only was Eve Torres his assigned partner for the night, but Chris Jericho was getting Beth Phoenix as his own partner. One of the toughest divas in the company - along with Natalya - she could beat just about anyone on any night. And even if she did have some vulnerabilities from time to time - she had, after all, needed a few tries to get the title from Kelly in the first place, and even as champion she'd lost on occasion in non-title and tag team matches - the fact remained that Eve most likely wasn't even going to bother fighting her if she got tagged into the match. And the thing was... There was nothing he could do to keep that from happening. Because if Chris Jericho tagged Beth Phoenix in, that meant that Eve automatically had to come in as well. The match was mixed tag, not intergender. There would be nothing he could do to stop Eve from being in the match, and they all knew it. There was no doubt in Punk's mind that Eve had marching orders to go out there and lay down for Beth. To just let herself get pinned. He knew it, and he knew that Beth and Jericho had to know it, too.

He had to keep Jericho from tagging Beth in. He had to keep Eve Torres out of the ring.

It wouldn't be easy. Odds were that Jericho would even try to get Beth to start the match... But he couldn't allow that to happen. He was not going to lose his WWE title faster than Daniel Bryan had lost the world heavyweight title at WrestleMania just eight days before. He would do whatever it took to make sure that he was the one that started the match, and he would do everything in his power to keep Jericho away from the side of the ring that Beth was on. He couldn't let him make the tag. Hell, he'd have to do what he could to keep the match away from his own corner as well; he couldn't take the chance that Eve would tag herself in, either, which was entirely possible.

Heaving out a sigh, the man got to his feet, reaching out to pick up the WWE title, looking at the nameplate on the bottom of it, all too aware that, after tonight, another name would likely be there. That wasn't to say he was giving up. He wasn't that type of guy. It just meant that he knew all too well when the deck was stacked against him. He wasn't going out there with a tag team partner that night, not really. A partner would be someone that wanted to win the match. Someone that was actually going out there to be his teammate and work toward the same goal he was. And even if Eve hadn't said anything about it, he knew that was the case with this 'partnership'. Her place in the company would be better if she lost this match... If she helped Laurinaitis get the best of him. In essence, he was going out there in a three-on-one situation, under the guise of one of the people that was against him being his partner. The good news was that he knew about it. He was very aware of what was going to happen out there. Of the expected outcome. He knew what was supposed to happen.

The bad news was, no matter how hard he tried - and he was going to give it his all - he just didn't know if he'd be able to stop it from happening.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Thanks for the reviews so far.

Part Two

He clenched his hands into fists, the man knowing that it was the only way he was going to stop himself from hitting something, and he knew it wouldn't do him any good to punch the wall and end up hurting his hand before his match. Not just his match. *Their* match. Turning his head the slightest bit, he saw the door to the divas' locker room open, watched as his assigned tag team partner for the night slipped out of the room. The woman that was supposed to help him defend the WWE title... Well, everyone knew that wasn't *really* what she was supposed to do. They knew that what she was supposed to do was help make sure that Jericho and Beth won... That, at the end of the show tonight, Chris Jericho was the new WWE champion.

The thing that really killed him was, if this had happened in January, back when Laurinaitis was trying so hard to make Dolph Ziggler the new champion, then being assigned Eve Torres as his partner would have given him hope. She was pretty tough, and even if she hadn't been able to pin Beth to make sure he kept the title, then she likely would have been able to hold out long enough to tag him back into the match and give him a chance to win it himself. That's all he would have needed from her. But now? Now, things were severely changed and he knew that Eve was not a woman to be trusted. He also knew that there was no real way to keep her out of the ring. He could try to tag himself back in immediately after she'd been tagged in, but he'd actually have to wait until she was in the ring to do that, and there was a chance she'd be able to evade him.

"You look like you've already been defeated."

He jerked at the voice, shaking his head slightly as he looked at the woman that was currently standing directly in front of him. Eve was tall for a diva, but still about five or six inches shorter than he was, meaning she had to look up at him. He wasn't sure what the hell she'd done with her eye makeup that night, but she'd somehow made her green eyes look even more striking than usual, somehow exotic. She was a gorgeous woman - he'd have to be blind and stupid not to realize that - but that didn't mean he trusted her. She couldn't pull him in like she had Zack Ryder.

"Excuse me?"

Eve arched a brow at him. "I said... you look like you've already been defeated," the woman repeated, crossing her arms over her chest, drawing his attention to her ring gear for the night. It was still the same general type of ring gear she'd worn for the past couple of years, but it was in black and silver this time around. She even wore black wrestling boots. Even the color schemes of her clothes had changed since her attitude had. Almost like she was playing a part before - or was now - and needed the costume to prove it. It was a weird thought, he knew, but he couldn't help the way it crossed his mind.

"Maybe I just know when the odds are stacked against me. But don't underestimate my determination, Eve. I will put everything I've got into winning that match and if I've got the opportunity to win, I will take it. You might want to tell your good friend Mr. John Laurinaitis that one," he said, stepping closer to the woman, leaning down a bit to get in her face, the man frowning slightly when he saw a flicker of... something... cross over her expression at his words. She didn't seem to be bothered by his closeness, though, instead stepping even closer, close enough that they were practically nose to nose thanks to the fact that he was leaning down a bit, the man easily able to smell her perfume, and probably even her shampoo and hairspray.

"Don't pretend that you know me. Because, Mr. WWE champion, you don't know me. You think you know what I'm going to do tonight. I can see it in your eyes. Hell, you're probably wondering what Laurinaitis would do if you took me out before the match to make sure I couldn't compete-"

His eyes widened at her words. "I might not trust you, but I wouldn't hurt you."

"You sure about that?" She glanced down, though he wasn't sure what she was looking at. The woman smirked slightly as she met his gaze again, refusing to look the least bit afraid despite the fact that she was having a nose-to-nose conversation with him and implying that he would purposely injure her to take her out of their match tonight. "Your hands are fisted."

CM Punk deliberately relaxed his hands. "I was thinking about punching other things. Like the wall. Or Jericho's face. Or maybe just John Laurinaitis," he said, and the diva smirked again.

"Can I watch if you do?" she asked, laughing slightly at the look on his face, the woman shaking her head as she stepped back. "Men... You all think you know how a woman works. You all think you know how to pull one over on her. Newsflash, Punk. We're smarter than you think. We have minds of our own."

"I never said you didn't."

"Oh, but you thought it. I mean, you think I'm going to just go out there and blindly do what everyone else expects of me. I'll just do what I'm told like a good little girl." She leaned forward again. "Have you forgotten, Punk? I'm not a good little girl anymore. Maybe I never was."

He knew the confusion he felt was written on his face. "Eve, I..."

She shook her head again, the woman turning to walk away. "I'll meet you out there, Punk. For our match," Eve said, pausing to look back at him, noting that his eyes were focused entirely on her. She smirked again. "Keep watching, Punk. Maybe I'll do something to surprise you."

And then she turned her head again and walked away.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Thanks to those that have reviewed so far. :)

Part Three

As he stood in the back, CM Punk could see Beth Phoenix and Chris Jericho standing barely ten feet away as they prepared to be introduced, the blonde woman adjusting her hold on the divas' title that was draped over her shoulder. She smirked as she said something to Jericho, then gestured toward his shoulder, probably talking about the fact that they both firmly believed that Jericho would have a title to drape over his shoulder - or wear around his waist - by the time the evening was over. After all, that's what everyone thought. Michael Cole had been crowing about it from the announcers' table all night, saying that Laurinaitis had finally found a foolproof plan to take the title off of him... Booker T and Lawler had even agreed, though it was been rather unhappily. Lawler had lamented the fact that Eve had been assigned as Punk's partner, saying that there was no way the woman was going to do anything to help Punk win and retain his title. That had then led to Lawler making some crass jokes about Eve 'laying down' for people, something that, despite his annoyance with being partnered with the diva, Punk didn't think was fair. After all, Zack's biggest complaint about Eve was that the kiss at RAW awhile ago was the farthest he'd ever gotten with Eve... So even if she was a pain in the ass and a manipulative bitch, she sure as hell wasn't easy. In fact, from what he'd heard over the years, none of the guys in the company had really gotten anywhere with Eve. It was kind of pathetic, really. Eve was the one with the bad reputation... But in comparison to some of the supposed 'good girls'? Eve was practically a freakin' saint. The only reason people saw things differently was because Cena and Zack had decided to call Eve names she didn't deserve and ignored the fact that Kelly had spent most of the first few years of her career hopping from bed to bed.

And now he was feeling sorry for the woman that was likely going to cost him the WWE title tonight. Yeah, not smart. On top of that, Eve certainly hadn't asked for anyone to feel sorry for her, much less him.

Taking a deep breath, the man shook his head slightly, his hands coming down to rest against the WWE championship that he wore around his waist... Perhaps for the last time. As he looked over, he caught Chris Jericho looking at him and smirking, almost like the man could read his mind and knew that he was thinking that it might be the final time he had the title... At least for awhile, anyway. At least until he found a way to force a rematch and get the championship back.

"You're looking defeated again."

Turning his head, CM Punk saw Eve making her way toward him, the diva barely glancing at him before she looked past him to find Chris Jericho and Beth Phoenix. A quick glance back of his own told Punk that both blonds were smiling at Eve as if she was part of their team instead of being his partner. Of course, given what he knew Eve's marching orders had to be, he supposed he shouldn't be surprised by their reaction to the other diva's presence. Shaking his head slightly, he turned his attention to his tag team partner as she came to stand in front of him, the diva apparently ignoring not only Beth and Jericho's smiles, but also the rather hateful glances she seemed to be receiving from some of the others in the back... Most specifically, Kelly Kelly... And Zack Ryder, who was standing not too far away with the Bella twins. The man had his arm around one of the Bellas and, to Punk, it looked almost like he was hoping that Eve would turn and see it... Like he wanted to rub it in her face that he'd 'moved on'... Which just made it all that much more obvious that he hadn't.

Sighing, Punk looked at his partner. "I don't trust you," he told her, and the diva smirked at him, her hands resting on her hips as she stepped a little closer to him.

"I'm so heartbroken... And completely not shocked. Come on, Punk... Why don't you tell me something I *don't* know?" she asked, smiling up at him, practically fluttering her eyelashes at him, and Punk found himself having to fight to stay where he was because he really wanted to step closer to her... Which told him that he desperately needed to take a step back. But if he stepped back, he knew that Eve would realize that she was getting to him, and he sure as hell wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of that. The look on her face, however, made it clear that at least part of his feelings were showing on his face, but before he could decide what to do - or what to say to defuse the situation - Eve took a step back herself, the diva turning away from him and tossing her hair back over her shoulder, a move that sent a citrus smell his way... Whether it was from her shampoo or her hairspray, he couldn't be sure. What he could be sure of, however, was the fact that he couldn't afford to be the least bit distracted by his tag team partner, and it seemed that he was on the verge of allowing that to happen.

Straightening his shoulders, Punk lifted his chin slightly, his eyes narrowing as he watched Beth Phoenix head out to the stage with the divas' title in tow... Only vaguely aware of the way that Eve was watching the other woman. A few moments later, he heard the pyro go off that signaled Jericho's entrance, and he just knew that the other man was already gloating even as he made his way to the ring.

"Time to party," Eve muttered from in front of him, the diva squaring her shoulders before making her way up the steps herself, and he could hear the chants and boos as her music started to play and she made her way out to the stage. Cringing slightly, figuring that the crowd reaction was just going to put Eve in a worse mood and make her want to make him lose even more, the man made his way up the steps, waiting for the change in music that signaled it was time for his entrance, the WWE champion taking a deep breath as he stood there... The sounds of 'Cult of Personality' starting in the arena, the crowd going nuts as they waited for his appearance... Punk glancing down at the title one last time before stepping through the curtains and out onto the stage.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks for the reviews so far.

Part Four

She hadn't tagged herself in yet.

He had to admit he was surprised by it, especially since there had been a couple of occasions in which he'd been close enough to her that Eve could have easily reached out and slapped his shoulder and effectively tagged herself into the match. CM Punk didn't know why she hadn't tried it; he knew her marching orders had to be to make this match as easy as possible on Chris Jericho and Beth Phoenix. She was likely supposed to find a way to get into the match, then lay down in the center of the ring while Beth pinned her and Jericho made sure he couldn't do anything about it. Instead... Well, instead she'd stood on the ring apron, watching every moment of the match, but not making a move to try to get into the match herself. Beth, on the other hand, had reached out to Jericho on several occasions in the fairly brief - only about five minutes, so far, he figured - duration of the match. Thankfully, he'd been able to cut Jericho off at the pass every time, preventing the blond man from tagging in his partner and forcing Eve to come in and replace him.

Swearing loudly, Punk found himself flung across the ring, heading hard into his own corner, and he knew he was going to hit the ring post. It would be a perfect chance for Eve to tag herself in... But no. Even as he felt the pain of his shoulder hitting the post, he saw that Eve had gotten out of the way, stumbling a bit down the steps but managing to avoid getting hit... And avoiding touching him at all. She didn't even make a move to tag herself in, and Punk could hear Jericho yelling at her, demanding to know what Eve thought she was doing.

And that was when it happened.

Chris Jericho, apparently fed up with waiting for Eve Torres to tag herself in, kicked Punk hard in the gut before turning and stalking toward his own corner... Punk gasping for the breath that had just been knocked out of him as he tried to stop the man, lunging across the ring, but knowing he was going to be too late. And he was right. He was too late. Jericho had just tagged in Beth Phoenix, meaning that Eve had to come into the match... And he couldn't tag himself back in until he'd actually gotten out onto the ring apron. Laurinaitis had made that much very clear when he'd set down the match for tonight.

Cursing viciously, the WWE champion watched as a smirking Beth Phoenix stepped into the ring, the divas' champion very confident... As she probably should be. After all, it was a mixed tag match, which meant she was stepping into the ring not to face him, but to instead face Eve. He couldn't touch her.

"Punk, you have to leave the ring," the referee stated, and CM Punk jerked angrily away when he felt the hand on his shoulder, the wrestler forcing himself to his feet as he stumbled over to the ropes and stepped between them, exiting the ring and turning his head to see that Eve had already entered it... And that she was already too far away for him to reach out and tag himself back in.

Beth smirked as she stood in the ring, the woman looking like she knew all too well that the match was now over. That it would be an easy victory, and that Jericho would be the new WWE champion. Honestly, Punk couldn't see what was in it for the divas' champion. She already had the belt, and unless she was guaranteed enough easy victories to keep the title around her waist indefinitely, he couldn't see why she would care about Jericho winning the belt. And if she'd been guaranteed an indefinite title run for her cooperation, then what was in it for Eve? After all, the brunette probably wanted the title for herself, and he just couldn't see how both women could hold it at the same time. This wasn't LayCool; neither Beth nor Eve was the type to share a title. So unless Laurinaitis was bringing back the women's belt for Eve or something... It just didn't make sense.

And neither did what was currently happening in the ring.

Eve was standing there, her chin raised defiantly, her head held high, and while Punk couldn't really see the look on her face - her back was mostly to him - he could tell from the look on Beth's face that the other woman was starting to get confused. Unsurprising, really, since Eve was probably supposed to have already laid down by now, instead of standing there looking like she was going to actually try and fight. Or maybe that was the ploy. Give that tiny bit of hope that she wouldn't actually screw him over, then just fall down with Beth's first move...

As the blonde woman went up to Eve, the brunette continued to stand her ground, not budging when Beth shoved at her... Then suddenly shoving Beth back, clearly surprising the other woman, the Glamazon stumbling back a few steps, catching herself on the ropes. Looking annoyed, Beth lunged at Eve, the brunette quickly ducking the attempted clothesline, whirling around and hitting Beth in the back with a dropkick. The move caused Beth to stumble forward and into the ropes, the blonde woman going to her knees and Eve immediately went to the ropes herself, probably intending to use them as momentum-

But Jericho lashed out, kicking Eve in the back, the man looking confused and annoyed by what was happening, and Punk couldn't help but wince at the sound of the impact, watching as the diva stumbled forward... And right into a vicious clothesline from a recovered Beth Phoenix. And suddenly, he just knew that it had probably been planned or something, a way to try and say that Eve had actually tried to help him instead of just laying down, and Punk prepared himself to go in there and break up the pin when something completely unexpected happened.

Eve kicked out before the ref even got to one.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks for the reviews so far.

Part Five

He almost couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Eve Torres, the woman that he *knew* was supposed to cost him the WWE title tonight, had not only kicked out before the referee had even gotten to a one-count, she was actually fighting back against Beth Phoenix. And she was fighting back *hard*. He knew, of course, that Eve had a blue belt in Brazilian Jujitsu; he'd even made it a point to mention it once back when he'd been doing commentary while rehabbing an injury. He'd commentated on one of her matches for Superstars, and while the other announcer had been going off about her college education, he'd pointed out her other accomplishments. And right now? She seemed to be using what she'd learned in all those Jujitsu classes. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen her kick so hard, using her feet viciously against Beth in an effort to not only keep the other woman from getting her hands on her, but in an effort to wear the blonde down.

It seemed to be working.

Beth was angry, that much was more than clear, the blonde woman swinging wildly and mostly missing because she was going on anger and Eve was remaining calm. Still, there was only so long that Eve could evade the larger woman, only so many kicks she could land before she missed one... Only so long before Beth resorted to something a little more underhanded to get things back in her favor.

CM Punk hissed through his teeth as he watched Beth grab a handful of Eve's long hair, slamming the woman to the mat with it, repeating hitting the other diva's face against the canvas until Eve somehow managed to get a hand up, the dark-haired diva viciously clawing at Beth's face as the blonde woman leaned over her, taunting her.

Hard to believe that the two women had been teammates just a handful of days ago at WrestleMania. And just as hard to believe that Eve was the same woman that had been supposed to screw him over tonight.

Eve dug her fingernails into Beth's cheek, hard enough that Punk had to figure that she was drawing blood, the feel of it causing Beth to cry out in pain and drop her hold on the brunette diva's hair, Eve maneuvering herself around to deliver a sharp kick to the side of Beth's head before she struggled to her feet. Her gaze went to him, finding CM Punk in the corner, the woman making a move toward him as if she intended to tag him back in... Punk immediately stretched out his hand, leaning over into the ring as far as he could... Their fingers just inches from touching when Jericho came into the ring and grabbed Eve by the ankle, pulling her feet from under her and dragging her away. He also stomped on her back, sending her painfully to the mat, the move earning the ire of the crowd... A crowd that Punk now realized had steadily been getting more and more behind Eve as the fans had realized that she was actually trying to fight, that she was actually on his side. Punk cursed viciously as Jericho took another cheap shot at his partner, the WWE champion climbing into the ring, ignoring the referee as the man tried to push him back out to the ring apron. Jericho bailed when he saw Punk coming, but the man wasn't done messing with Eve. Once he got out of the ring, Jericho grabbed Eve by the ankle, dragging her under the bottom rope and out to the floor, the woman too dazed to protect herself as she slammed against the floor.

Incensed, Punk got out of the ring and rushed around it, chasing Jericho away from his partner as a litany of swear words fell from his lips. Furious with the other man, Punk ended up running after Jericho halfway up the ramp... The WWE champion stopping short when he caught sight of what was happening on the Titantron. While he'd been chasing Jericho, Beth had been busy dragging Eve back into the ring, and she was already in the process of going for the pin on his beat up partner. Knowing there was no way he could get there in time, Punk still whirled around and made a run for it... His eyes widening in surprise when Eve reached out and grabbed the bottom rope, stopping the three-count.

"Good girl," he muttered to himself, Punk's eyes on the action as he climbed back up onto the ring apron, the man trying to get the crowd behind his partner as Beth went for the pin again... Eve actually forcing herself over onto her stomach to break the count this time.

"Come on, Eve! Come on! Just make it over here. Just tag me in!" he shouted to her. "I know you can do it! Just hold out long enough to tag me in!"

He thought he saw Eve nod slightly at that, the woman forcing herself up to her hands and knees... Punk swearing ripely when Beth came down hard on Eve's shoulder, kicking it viciously, then dropping her knee down on it, Beth putting all of her weight into the nasty blow... The sound of Eve's scream made him wince, and it didn't get any better when Beth dragged the younger diva up and threw her shoulder first into the opposite ringpost. Eve screamed again at the impact, the sound full of pain, and Punk cringed as she stumbled back, noting that her shoulder didn't look quite... right.

"Oh, God. She's hurt," he whispered, his stomach sinking at the realization, and for a moment he felt frozen as he stood there on the ring apron. Frozen as he watched Eve stumble back from the corner, the diva clutching at her right shoulder, her expression making it clear she was in a lot of pain... Beth knocked her legs out from under her, going to roll Eve up... But she'd only gotten one of Eve's legs, the other one still free, and Eve latched onto the bottom rope with it, and when Beth turned to the referee to shout at the man for not counting the pin, letting go of Eve's other leg to do so, the diva squirmed out of the pinning predicament, somehow reversing it, shocking Beth with the move.

And then it was over.

Eve had rolled Beth up. Eve had gotten the three-count.

Eve had just helped him retain the WWE championship.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks to those that have reviewed so far.

Part Six

He rushed into the ring almost as soon as the bell rang, the sounds of Eve's music ringing in his ears as he hurried to his tag team partner's side, though he remained standing instead of crouching beside her, the man's position defensive as he looked for any signs of trouble from Beth or Jericho, neither of whom could be happy about the outcome of the match. Seeing him coming - and probably seeing the fierce expression on his face - Beth Phoenix scrambled out of the ring, which was good. He didn't want to put his hands on a woman, but if she'd tried to go after Eve - something that he was pretty sure she'd wanted to do - after the match was over, then he would have had to get her out of there. Eve was hurt, had gotten hurt while helping him defend his WWE title, and he wasn't above tossing Beth out of the ring if it was what he had to do to protect her now that the match was over. Thankfully, it hadn't been necessary, the Glamazon leaving the ring on her own, and Jericho seemed more inclined to continue throwing a fit on the outside than anything else. Even so, Punk stood protectively over Eve for several seconds, staring down Beth and Jericho for a long moment before he fell to his knees next to the injured brunette.

"It's okay, Eve. It's going to be okay," he told her, one hand coming out to touch her, but then he pulled it back, realizing he'd been about to put his hand on her injured arm.

"It... hurts," she managed to say, gritting her teeth as she looked up at him. The sexy eye makeup he'd noticed earlier was smudged and her eyes were filled with tears of pain. His gut twisted at the sight of the pain in her eyes.

"I know it does. I know it hurts. I'm so sorry, Eve," he said rather helplessly, glancing over at the referee, noting that Scott Armstrong was well aware that Eve was injured, too, as he was motioning for help from the back. Shaking his head, Punk turned his attention to Eve, reaching out to catch her when she started to roll over onto her back and away from him, and he felt something shift beneath his hand, heard something pop, as he unthinkingly caught hold of her bad arm. "Oh, my God. Eve, I..."

She closed her eyes, pressing her lips together, and he was horrified to see a tear slip out from beneath her long lashes. "I can breathe again," she whispered after a moment. "It... It still hurts, but... Not as sharp. Not as... It's better."

"It was probably partially dislocated. When I touched it... When I grabbed you, it must have popped back into place," he managed, feeling completely out of his element as he knelt there next to her... Reaching for her as she went to sit up, the diva cradling her right arm against her and using only her left arm for leverage. "Eve, you should stay down. The medics-"

"I won't be carted out of here on a stretcher," she told him, defiance flashing in her eyes despite the tears he could still see in them. "I won't give Beth the satisfaction of it."

"You beat her, Eve. I'm pretty sure that she isn't feeling satisfied about much of anything right now," Punk replied. "You should really let the medics-"

"No. I can do it," the woman said, starting to scoot herself toward the edge of the ring, and the WWE champion hurried to stay with her, glancing back over his shoulder briefly and waving the medics that were starting to come out away, knowing that it was possible Eve would just fight them if they tried to help her, and that could just cause her to get hurt worse.

"Okay, if you don't want the medics to help you... Then at least let me help you," he said, and when she frowned at that, he caught her chin in his hand, looking her in the eye. "Accepting my help doesn't make you weak. You're hurt, but you never stopped fighting, and you won the damn match for us. You're not weak. No one's going to think less of you if I help you out of here. So let me help you."

She bit at her bottom lip, the woman looking torn between being independent and letting herself lean on someone and, after a long moment, she nodded her head. "Okay."

He nodded, his hand briefly touching her cheek, the wrestler letting his hand run down the long fall of her hair before he scooted out of the ring, sliding out beneath the ropes, then reaching for Eve. He helped her ease out of the ring carefully, not touching her right arm at all, his arm wrapping around her waist as she tried to gain her feet. He could feel her shaking, and he looked down at her, meeting her eyes. "It'll go faster if I pick you up. Will you let me?"

"I can walk."

"You're shaking like a leaf, Eve. If you won't let the medics take you out of here, let me do it, okay? You were my partner tonight. Let me act like one."

"I don't think carrying me out of here was part of the partnership deal."

"It is now," Punk replied, maneuvering around her a bit so that he could lift her in his arms. He made sure her uninjured shoulder was the one pressed against him and, after a moment, he felt Eve's left arm come to wrap around his neck. She still held her right arm close to her body, and he could tell she was still in pain... Even if she was doing a pretty darn good job of putting a brave face on. Adjusting his grip on her a bit, he glanced over to see that the referee had collected the WWE title for him... Punk's gaze landing on the belt for a moment before he turned his attention back to the diva in his arms. "It's going to be okay, Eve," he said, and the woman shook her head slightly.

"No, it's really not," she whispered, then put her head on his shoulder, and Punk couldn't deny that she was probably right. Because after tonight, after he and Eve had thwarted the plans of Laurinaitis and Jericho, there was sure to be hell to pay.

And he had the sinking feeling that Eve was going to pay for it just as much as he was.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks to everyone that has reviewed so far; I really appreciate it.

Part Seven

He made his way to the back with his tag team partner cradled in his arms, the WWE champion's expression fierce as he carried Eve Torres toward the back. Worried that fans might reach out and touch the diva's bad shoulder, he'd taken her up the ramp instead of skirting around it and going under the stage, meaning he'd had to navigate the stairs once he'd gotten her up the ramp, across the stage and through the curtains. He'd made it down the steps, however, Eve still securely held in his arms, and as he glanced around, he saw that the crowd that had been near the curtains had changed somewhat... Zack Ryder and the Bella twins were long gone, though Kelly was actually still there, the blonde woman looking shocked about what had happened out there. Obviously, she'd thought - just like everyone else - that Eve had been going to make sure that he lost the WWE title... Not that she would ensure that he retained it.

"Is she okay?" another voice asked, and Punk turned his head to find Kofi Kingston standing not far away, the wrestler watching them with concern.

"It's her shoulder. I need to get her to the trainers," CM Punk, replied, and Kofi nodded, the man turning and leading the way, Punk very aware that Eve now had her face more or less buried against his throat. He wasn't entirely sure why she was hiding her face... If she was in enough pain that she was crying (which was possible) and didn't want anyone to see it... Or maybe she just didn't want to see the looks on everyone's faces as she was carried injured through the halls of the arena. Given the things she'd done over the past six weeks or so, she probably thought that people would be happy she was hurt. And maybe some of them were. But he wasn't happy. He wasn't happy at all.

"How bad do you think it is?"

"I think it was partially dislocated, and it popped back into place out there when I grabbed her arm," Punk said, his voice filled with self-loathing over his own stupidity in grabbing at her. Granted, it seemed that it may have ended up helping her - she said the pain decreased when it had happened - but he could have just as easily made it worse. It was stupid of him to have touched her injured arm.

Kofi made a face, hissing through his teeth. "If it's partial and already back in place... It may heal pretty fast," the man said. "She may not miss much time, at least."

CM Punk nodded at that, though part of him thought it might be better if Eve did have to miss a bit more time. Not that he wished her injured - he hated that she was, absolutely hated it - but if she wasn't medically cleared to wrestle, then John Laurinaitis couldn't put her in a match. He couldn't take out his anger for botching his plans on her. And CM Punk knew the RAW - and SmackDown - General Manager well enough to realize that he would do just that. What he didn't understand was why it was that Eve had purposely cost Team Teddy the match at WrestleMania barely over a week before... If she didn't want to toe the line for Laurinaitis, why had she helped him win? Was there something else going on that he didn't know about? After the way she'd helped him win tonight, Punk had to think there was... He just didn't have a clue what it could be.

Shaking his head slightly, Punk looked down at the woman in his arms, adjusting his hold on her carefully as he made his way into the trainers room and eased the diva down on the nearest treatment table. Eve seemed reluctant to release her hold on him at first, and he stroked a hand down her long hair.

"It's okay. I took you to the trainers. They need to look at your shoulder," he said quietly, and he felt her nod against his throat before she shifted away from him, her good arm dropping from around his neck. She kept her head ducked down, and as looked down at her, he saw her lift her good hand to wipe at her face... He knew she was wiping at her eyes and he didn't really blame her for crying. Tonight hadn't been easy for her. Everyone had thought she was going to just be one of Laurinaitis's lackeys, and the crowd had been pretty nasty when she'd first walked out there tonight. Granted, when they'd realized that she was actually trying to help him, they'd gotten behind her, but that still didn't change the things they'd said at first. And now... Now she was hurt because she'd helped him. And it wasn't just the fans or the people in the back that had given her a hard time... He hadn't even believed in her at first... But she'd come through in the end. He was still the WWE champion because of her.

Clearing his throat, Punk took his gaze off Eve's bent head, instead looking up at the trainers. "She'll be okay, right? Her shoulder-"

"We'll have to take a look at it. She may need x-rays."

"It popped. When we were out there. I... I grabbed her arm - I wasn't thinking - and it popped. She said that it got better then. Do you think..."

"If it was dislocated or partially dislocated, getting it back into place quickly could minimize the damage. We'll have to see," the trainer said, watching him for a moment before turning his attention to Eve, carefully reaching for her injured arm. Punk hissed through his teeth, part of him wanting to pull the trainer's hands back and not let him touch her, not wanting Eve to be caused any more pain. And perhaps the other trainer realized that, because she looked over at Punk.

"It would be best if you would wait outside," she said, then glanced at Kofi. "Both of you."

"But..."

"It's okay, Punk. You know I'm in good hands. I'm with the trainers," Eve said quietly, speaking for the first time since he'd picked her up in the arena, the woman looking up at him. Her makeup was smudged from her tears. She reached out with her good hand, touched his arm. "I'll be fine."

"Eve..."

"It's okay," she said again, and Punk sighed, allowing Kofi to lead him out of the room... Pausing in the process of shutting the door when he heard Eve's voice again. "And Punk?"

"Yeah."

"Earlier... I said to keep watching, that I might do something to surprise you. I guess I did, didn't I?" she said, meeting his gaze, and he nodded.

"Yeah, Eve. You did."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks to those that have reviewed so far. Thanks for sticking with me on this one. :)

Part Eight

"I don't understand why she did it," CM Punk said quietly, the man looking down at the WWE title in his hands. The referee had left it for him in his locker room since he'd been a little too busy carrying Eve to the back to worry about his title after the match.

Kofi Kingston shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe she doesn't need you to understand. Maybe it doesn't matter why she did it... The point is, she did."

"She got hurt helping me. Her shoulder-"

"People get hurt in matches all the time, Punk," Kofi said, then lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender when the WWE champion glared at him. "I'm not saying it doesn't suck, and I'm not saying that I don't understand why you're freaked. I'm just saying that bad things happen sometimes. You know it."

"I know. I get it. I just... I think what makes it worse is the fact that I just... I didn't expect her to do anything. I thought she was going to help Jericho and Beth win. I thought she was going to go out there and just make sure that Chris Jericho was basically handed the title. That makes it worse. That's what makes it so bad. Because I doubted her... And she proved me wrong. She proved everybody out there wrong. She got hurt out there, and she still kept fighting. I'm still the WWE champion because Eve Torres refused to give up. Even with a bad shoulder, she refused to give up. She got dragged out of the ring by Jericho, thrown into the ringpost by Beth... And somehow she still managed to win."

"She's a tough lady. Tougher than a lot of people give her credit for," Kofi replied, moving over to sit on the bench across from Punk. He reached out, tapping the title that his friend held. "She made her choice tonight. She helped you win. She has to know that there are going to be consequences."

Punk winced. "Yeah. I know. Which is why... It makes it mean even more, you know? She helped me, going against what was expected of her, and she got hurt... And she had to know that if she helped me win... Just the fact that she fought alongside me instead of against me had to mean that there was going to be retribution. She has to know that Laurinaitis is going to try and make her pay for it. And still... Even then, she helped me."

"Makes you wonder what's going on her head, don't it? Or maybe what happened to make her so hell-bent against doing anything Laurinaitis wanted her to do. It wasn't much over a week ago that she was kicking Zack in the nuts at WrestleMania. She cost Team Teddy the match, and we know she did it on purpose," Kofi said, then shifted uncomfortably, looking away. Punk frowned.

"What is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're all shifty-eyed and stuff. What's it about? You think you know why she cost Team Teddy? Tell me," Punk demanded, and Kofi heaved out a sigh before replying.

"Maybe I have an idea... Or think I might have an idea. Teddy... Wasn't exactly kind about Eve. When Zack was added to the team. He said some pretty derogatory things about her. Not in front of Zack, because he probably figured that Zack would tell her. He didn't say it to me, either, really. I just overheard. He was talking to Santino and I think Khali and Booker were both there, too. But if it got back to Eve... Yeah, I could picture her deciding that a nice form of payback would be to cost him his job at WrestleMania. Make him pay for basically... He pretty much called her a whore. And a few other things. What he said made John Cena calling her a 'hoeski' seem quaint. After what she did tonight... If she's not really on Team Johnny, if she went out of her way to help you win, then there's got to be a reason why she would want Theodore Long to lose his job. I'm thinking that would be a good one."

"Teddy Long was banging Aksana - who was obviously only interested in him because he was the SmackDown GM - and suddenly he's calling Eve a whore? Maybe he should have been looking more closely at his own girlfriend before calling the other divas names," Punk spat out, and Kofi snorted.

"Yeah, especially since she offered to give some of us a 'pick-me-up' before the match at WrestleMania," Kofi said, then quickly clarified, "I'm talking about Aksana there, not Eve. Eve never let any of us within five feet of her. She even kept Zack at a distance. If she overheard what Teddy said about her... Can't say as I blame her. Booker's the only one that looked bothered by it. Of course, I can't guarantee that Khali actually understood what Teddy was saying."

"So... If Theodore Long had treated Eve even halfway decent, then maybe she wouldn't have cost Team Teddy the match?"

"Dude, I don't know. I do know that it wasn't until the day of WrestleMania that she decided she wanted to walk Zack out, so it's a possibility. Not sure why she had to attack Zack, though. But she had reason to want Teddy gone. And her actions tonight make me think maybe... She's not really on Team Johnny. Maybe... Maybe she's just doing what she wants to do. Long pissed her off, so she cost him his job. Maybe she didn't like the things that Zack called her, so she decided to mess with him, too, after he came back from his injuries, and that's why he got kicked in the nuts. It was her way of making it clear she was through with him, too. And maybe she didn't like the fact that Laurinaitis just expected her to do what he said tonight... So she helped you."

"And maybe got herself in a lot of trouble for it. He's going to try to make her pay."

"Then maybe her bum shoulder will be a good thing. If it keeps her from being medically cleared for a few weeks, then we have time to figure something out. A way to protect her."

Punk snorted. "I had that thought earlier, about her having to be out of the ring for a little while, but... Something tells me that Eve isn't the type to want to be protected. Not anymore. Not with the way she's acted over the past month or two."

"That gonna stop you from trying?" Kofi wanted to know, and Punk looked over at his friend.

"Hell, no."

"That's what I figured."


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks again to those that have reviewed. I really appreciate it.

Disclaimer, etc., are in part 1.

Part Nine

He jerked a hand through his hair, the WWE champion glancing at his things still piled on the bench before heading for the door. He'd taken a shower and changed, figuring that would give the trainers enough time to check Eve over and judge how bad her injuries were, and now he was going back to the trainers to see how she was doing... Then he was going to take her to get her things and get her the hell out of here. They were both done for the night, and she was injured, so there was no way she should have to stick around for the last fifteen minutes of the show, which were all that was left; their match had been at the halfway point.

Heaving out a sigh, Punk came to a stop in front of the trainers room, then lifted a hand and knocked... Waiting for a few seconds before opening the door and stepping inside, fully expecting to find Eve sitting there in a sling or something. Instead, she was gone. The trainers were still there, straightening their things while occasionally glancing at the monitor where John Cena and Randy Orton were teaming up to take on Kane and the Miz. But Eve? She was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Eve?" he asked, still looking around as if he expected her to suddenly appear, and one of the trainers looked over at him.

"We treated her, and she left. It looks like it was just a partial dislocation. She'll probably be able to compete again in a few weeks," the woman told him, and Punk just stared at her for a moment before he was able to say anything else.

"She just... Left? Where did she go? The divas' locker room?"

"We... don't know," the trainer replied, and the WWE champion shook his head slightly, as if unable to believe they'd just let her walk off, then quickly turned and left the room, making his way down the hall once more, though this time, he was headed for the divas' locker room. It was a room that most of the guys steered pretty clear of... Those women could be vicious, especially if someone walked in on them while they were changing. Or so he'd heard. But right now, he needed to find Eve, which meant he was going to brave the women's locker room in an effort to track her down.

As he approached the room, he was could hear several voices coming from inside... Raised voices, though it seemed they were raised because they were trying to speak over the sound of music, not because there were any fights going on. Coming to a stop in front of the door, Punk stared at it for a moment, then lifted his hand to knock... Stepping back slightly as he waited for the door to open. After a few moments, it did, and he was relieved to see that it wasn't Beth Phoenix that stuck her head out. He was pretty sure that Beth wouldn't be too happy to see him after she and Jericho had lost the match to him and Eve that night. He also didn't figure she'd be too cooperative about getting Eve for him. Of course, he couldn't be too sure that the woman standing in the doorway would be of much help, either.

Kaitlyn arched a brow at him, tilting her head to the side as she looked at the man in front of her. "Can I help you?"

"I'm just looking for Eve," he told the diva, and she eyed him for another moment before replying.

"Let me check on that for you," Kaitlyn said, ducking back inside, the door closing behind her... Leaving Punk standing there, feeling more than a little foolish waiting outside the divas' locker room. It took at least a couple of minutes for Kaitlyn to reappear and this time, she wasn't alone. Unfortunately, it wasn't Eve Torres that was standing there with her. It was Kelly. The blonde smirked at him.

"Why in the world would you be looking for Eve?" the former divas' champion wanted to know, and Punk couldn't help the incredulous look that came to his face at that.

"Um... Maybe because she was my tag team partner tonight and she helped me retain the WWE championship? And on top of that, she got *hurt* helping me retain the title," he reminded the woman, vaguely wondering if Kelly were really that stupid, or if she somehow thought he shouldn't care about Eve getting hurt tonight. He'd have to be a lot more of an asshole than he was not to be concerned about Eve after what had happened out there. "Where is she?"

"Gone," Kelly replied, shrugging at the surprise on his face. "She came back with her arm all up in a sling, somehow managed to get all her things, and she left. She still had her ring gear on and everything. Guess she didn't want to take the time to change."

"Or maybe the fact that she partially dislocated her shoulder tonight meant it hurt too much to change without help," Punk shot back, giving both women an incredulous look. "She's hurt, with her arm in a sling, and you just let her leave?"

Kaitlyn lifted her hands in a placating gesture. "I didn't know she'd left. I didn't know where she was. I had to ask," she said, and the WWE champion nodded, turning his attention back to Kelly.

"Maybe you didn't... But Kelly knew. I'm guessing she sat and watched it happen. And probably laughed."

Kelly sneered at that. "She's a bitch-"

"She's injured. I wouldn't be champion any longer if not for her. She was my partner tonight. And just letting her leave like that was stupid. If she's out there, trying to drive with one arm..." He sent Kelly a derisive look. "Of course, she can probably drive better with one good arm than you can with two-"

"Hey!"

"Truth hurts, doesn't it? I've seen you drive," he said, then stepped back, shaking his head. "I should have never left her alone with the trainers. I should have stayed there. Damn it-"

"I'm sorry, Punk," Kaitlyn said quietly. "If I'd seen her... I might not have stopped her, but I would have at least offered her a lift so she wouldn't have to drive. I... Maybe she's not gone yet. Maybe you can still catch her," the diva said quietly, and Punk nodded.

"I can try," he muttered, starting to turn to go, then glancing back at Kaitlyn. "You seem like an okay girl. Try and stay that way," he told her, then turned and hurried down the hallway, hoping that he could catch Eve before she left the arena.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Thanks to those that have reviewed/followed/favorited this one.

Part Ten

He wasn't fast enough. Eve was already gone.

"Damn it," CM Punk muttered, the wrestler looking around the parking garage, desperately wishing for something to kick... and feeling like he wanted to kick his own ass at the moment. He'd had no business leaving Eve alone. Well, not alone, technically... She'd been with the trainers when he'd left her. And he'd only left because both the trainers and Eve had told him to. But instead of standing outside the trainers' room and waiting for her to emerge - or for them to tell him he could come back inside - he'd gone back to his locker room to talk to Kofi and, after that, he'd actually taken the time to clean up and get ready to leave. Granted, his plan had been to go and get Eve and help her collect her things and then take her back to her hotel... To look after her as much as she allowed him to do... But now...

"Shit," he whispered, jerking a hand through his hair. He'd hoped that he would get to the parking garage before Eve had managed to actually leave... Thought that maybe her injuries would keep her from being able to get her stuff loaded very easily, but apparently he'd been wrong. Either that, or she hadn't been kept by the trainers as long as he'd figured she would be. Whatever the case was, she'd managed to drag her things to her car and now she was gone. Or, if she wasn't, she sure as hell wasn't anywhere that he could see her.

"No luck?"

He spun around at the sound of the voice, and the only reason he wasn't instantly ready to attack was because he'd registered that the voice he'd heard was distinctly female. He frowned slightly as he looked at Kaitlyn. "What?"

"I came out here to see if you'd caught up to her. I was hoping you would." The diva shook her head. "I didn't know. I really didn't know she'd come back and gotten her stuff and left." Kaitlyn dragged her teeth over her bottom lip. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," he muttered, reaching up, pressing his fingers against his temples. "You weren't even there when she came back, so it's not like you could have stopped her. And hey... She pinned Beth Phoenix earlier despite having a partially dislocated shoulder. Even if you had been there... I'm not sure you would have been able to stop her."

"You have a point there," Kaitlyn said quietly, then looked around the garage. "When Laurinaitis put together that match tonight, I thought... I really thought-"

"You and me both," Punk replied. "Which means I just feel even more like shit now. I didn't trust her, never thought for a moment that she would do anything to help me hold onto the WWE championship and now... She not only fought her ass off out there, she got the pin for our team, and she did it hurt. And instead of taking care of her like I should have, I left her alone with the trainers and now... Who knows where the hell she is?"

"You know, it's not like you just deserted her or something," the young diva said, shrugging when he sent a look her way. "Well, you didn't. You made sure that she got to the back, and you took her to the trainers. You made sure she was being looked after. And, from the sound of things, you didn't intend for her to take off by herself afterwards."

"Of course I didn't-"

"And did you just... Dump her with the trainers, then leave?"

He shook his head, staring down at the concrete floor of the garage. "No. I wasn't going to leave, but... They told me to leave. She told me that she was in good hands. So Kofi and I left," he said, looking over at Kaitlyn as he said the last bit, noticing the frown on her face at the last few words. He shrugged. "When I got Eve to the back, Kofi met up with us, and he walked with us to the trainers room." The wrestler heaved out a sigh. "I never intended... I talked to Kofi for a little while, and then he took off, and I cleaned up and got dressed and went to find her... And she was gone. They'd released her, so I went straight to the divas' locker room, figuring I'd catch up with her there..."

"And she'd already left."

"Yeah. She'd already left." He shook his head. "Why didn't I... I didn't think she would just... I don't know."

"It's not your fault," Kaitlyn told him, then heaved out a sigh. "Look... I'm guessing that you're not going to be reassured about how Eve is until you've seen her again and made sure of it. Right?"

Punk shrugged his shoulders, the gesture restless. "I'd feel better if I knew she'd made it back to her room okay. She's hurt. She's out there with a bad arm, and she's trying to get herself back to her hotel and get all of her stuff upstairs and..." He shook his head. "I should have stood outside of the trainers' room and waited for her instead of going back to my locker room. That was my mistake."

"And in the greater scheme of things, it wasn't a huge one. You didn't know she would leave."

"I know that she put herself at risk tonight to help me. Not just physically, but her career..." He shook his head. "Laurinaitis put her in that match tonight, and he fully expected her to make sure that I walked out of there with a defeat. She was supposed to make sure that I lost that title, and she didn't do it. He's going to try and make her pay for that."

"I'm sure he is. He's the vengeful type. I'm guessing you're going to try to be the hero type now," Kaitlyn said, tilting her head as she looked at him. "No offense, but I see you as more of an anti-hero."

"Kaitlyn-"

"Well, I do. Anyway... I saw Eve earlier. Before the show. At the Holiday Inn Express. Heading into room 219. In case you're interested," the woman told him, smiling when he gave her an incredulous look. "What? I can't have information? I figured you would want to check on her." That said, Kaitlyn spun on her heel and went to head back inside, pausing only when she heard the sound of Punk's voice.

"Kaitlyn?"

"Yeah?"

He gave her a slight smile. "Thanks."

"No problem."


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks to those that have reviewed/favorited/followed this one. :)

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Part Eleven

She made her way up to her room, the woman doing her best to juggle her things with only one good arm. Her right arm was in a sling, her shoulder still throbbing thanks to the fact that it had been partially dislocated earlier in the night. She'd refused any painkillers - she didn't like the idea of not being totally in control, and she knew painkillers would make her feel that way. She had some ibuprofen in her hotel room, and Eve figured that she would take some of that.

Heaving out a sigh, the diva dropped her bag on the floor of the hallway, then dug into the side pocket of her purse for her key card. Quickly, she used it to open the hotel room door, then dragged her things inside, not bothering to get them much more than a few feet inside the room. She dropped the key card on the nearest table, then dropped her purse as well, the woman making her way over to stand in front of the mirror that hung over the dresser in the room. She hadn't taken the time to change before leaving the arena - she'd known it would take far too long given the state of her shoulder - and the light jacket she was wearing over her ring gear was really only on one arm. The other side was just draped over her bad shoulder. Her eye makeup was smeared thanks to the fact that she'd shed a few tears of pain earlier, and she looked a bit pale and tired. Driving back to the hotel with only one good arm and getting her things back to her room had taken more effort than she'd realized it would. All she wanted to do right now was flop down on the bed - carefully, of course, given her bad shoulder - and go to sleep. Unfortunately, she knew that sleeping in her ring gear and wrestling boots would be anything but comfortable.

Shaking her head slightly, Eve made her way to the bathroom, carefully shrugging out of the jacket she was really only half-wearing, letting it drop to the floor before she went to work on taking the sling off of her arm. She knew she needed the damned thing, but she also knew that she couldn't exactly change clothes while she had it on. Sighing, she stepped into the bathroom and turned the light on, frowning as she looked at herself, taking in the sight of the bruises that were blooming on her shoulder. Not surprising, really. After all, Beth had sent her crashing into the ring post hard enough to partially dislocate her shoulder. Of course she'd end up with bruises to show for it.

Moving as quickly as she could with the use of only one of her arms, Eve started pulling out what she needed to remove her makeup, then carefully began going through the motions of doing just that, wiping away the smears and smudges as well as everything else. It felt a bit like she was taking off a mask. On another day, she might have smiled wryly at the thought, but right now, she still just felt like crying. Shaking her head, she went back to removing her makeup, then reached up to try and take down the part of her hair that she had pulled back from her face... Cursing when she realized that undoing it one-handed would be a pain in the butt.

"Damn it," the diva muttered, hating that she felt tears welling up in her eyes, tears that she knew came from both pain and frustration. Forcing herself to take a slow, steadying breath, Eve stepped back, closing her eyes, holding herself very still until she was sure she wasn't going to burst into tears or something stupid like that. Once she was sure she was calm - or calm enough - she opened her eyes again, reaching for her bag and digging out the bottle of ibuprofen... Cursing again as she looked down at the child-resistant cap. Bracing herself, she managed to get the cap removed, fighting to ignore the pain that the movement - that any movement - currently caused in her shoulder. The trainers had told her that the damage wasn't serious, that she would probably be able to get back in the ring again in less than a month, maybe just a couple of weeks, but that didn't change the fact that, right now, it hurt like hell. Given the bruising and the fact that it had actually partially popped out of place, it wasn't that surprising. That didn't mean she had to like it.

Quickly, Eve popped a few ibuprofen in her mouth, turning on the faucet and letting some water to run into one of the plastic cups provided by the hotel. She drank what she needed to get the pills down, then dumped the rest in the sink, dropping the cup in the trash before making her way back into the main part of the hotel room. She stared down at her bags for a moment, knowing she needed to dig out something to sleep in, but instead of doing so, she made her way to the bed and sat down, looking down at the wrestling boots that were still on her feet. Heaving out a sigh, she bent forward, painstakingly going about the business of unlacing them, only using her right arm when she had to, gritting her teeth at the pain that came each time her shoulder shifted. It took a few minutes, but she managed to get the boots off, the diva carefully picking them up and carrying them over to the bag she used for her wrestling gear. She had to fight a bit with the zipper, but she managed it, Eve shoving the boots in the bag, then kneeling there on the carpet for a few moments, mentally trying to get herself up for the job of taking off her ring gear. Like most of her gear, it tied in the back, which was difficult to deal with on her own on a good day, and then it had to be pulled off over her head... Something that would hurt like hell since she could barely raise her right arm at the moment.

"Don't be such a wimp, Eve," she muttered to herself, the woman rising to her feet... Jerking slightly at the sound of the knock that came then. Frowning, she made her way over to the door, half-curious about who was standing out there and half-relieved to have a short reprieve to going about the business of trying to change clothes. As the knock sounded again, she reached out for the doorknob, turning it and pulling the door open, then blinking in surprise when she saw who was standing in the hallway.

CM Punk.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Part Twelve

His gaze moved over the woman that opened the door, a frown on his face as he looked at her. She looked a little tired and pale, the diva standing there in the doorway, still wearing her ring gear, her face seemingly free of makeup. She'd managed to get her wrestling boots off, but otherwise, she was still completely dressed. Eve wasn't wearing the sling he knew she'd been given, though, and his eyes were instantly drawn to the bruises he could see on the shoulder that had been partially dislocated earlier in the night.

"What are you doing here?" Eve asked, her voice soft, holding a hint of confusion, and Punk arched a brow as he looked at her.

"I'm here to check on my tag team partner," he told her, cautiously easing past her and into the room, being careful not to cause her to bump her bad arm into anything as he made his way past her. Frowning, Eve closed the door behind them, then turned and looked at him as he stepped further into the room.

"I didn't invite you in."

He shrugged. "I didn't feel like taking the time to argue my way in," he replied, frowning once more as he looked at her shoulder. "You need an ice pack or something."

"It's fine-"

"No, it's not. It was partially dislocated, it's bruised and swollen and looks incredibly painful, and you got that injury helping me to retain the WWE championship tonight," he shot back at her, and Eve gave a one-shouldered shrug, careful not to move her bad shoulder, the diva averting her gaze as she spoke.

"I made my choices tonight. I don't need you feeling guilty-"

"I don't feel... I'm concerned, okay? Everyone thought you were going to do the exact opposite of what you did tonight. And I feel like shit for that. I admit it. Okay. I thought you were going to turn against me, and you didn't. You fought like hell out there, even after you got hurt. And then, after I take you to the trainers... Why did you just duck out of there? Why didn't you wait for me to come back?" he wanted to know, watching the flash of confusion that crossed the woman's face at his words. Frowning, he stepped closer to her, blinking as the realization hit. "You... You didn't think I was going to come back and check on you, did you?"

Again she gave the one-armed shrug. "It doesn't matter-"

"Yes, Eve, it does. You thought I wasn't going to come back and check on you."

"I told you that I was in good hands. I told you to leave."

"But that didn't mean I wasn't going to come back!" he tossed back at her. "I only left because you told me to. I had every intention of coming back, Eve. And when I did... You were gone. So I went to the divas' locker room, and once again... You were gone. I had to stand there and listen to Kelly freaking Kelly tell me that you'd come back with your arm in a sling and that you'd gotten your things and left." He shook his head. "The stupid bitch was amused by it."

"Well, Kelly always has been easily amused," Eve replied, then sent him a look. "How, exactly, did you find out what room I was in? Or did you just knock until you finally found me?"

He smirked slightly at that, thinking about what a pain in the ass it would have been to do that... And also thinking that there was a good chance he would have actually done that if he hadn't already known her room number. "Actually, Kaitlyn told me where you were," he told her. "Apparently, she'd seen you at the hotel earlier." CM Punk took a step closer to Eve, reaching out to put a hand on her chin and draw her gaze to his when the woman refused to look at him. "Eve... Do you have any idea how worried I was when I found out that you'd gotten into a car and driven off alone tonight?"

"I-"

"You can't use your right arm. The thought of you trying to drive-"

"I made it back here safe and sound all by myself."

"You shouldn't have had to. If you'd just waited, then I would have come and gotten you from the trainers, and then I would have made sure that you got back safely." Shaking his head, he looked her up and down. "Can you even change out of your gear with your shoulder like that?"

"I can manage."

Punk gave the woman a look, fully aware that most of Eve's gear - including what she was wearing tonight - laced up the back. Most likely, those laces had to be loosened in order for her to get the top off, and from the looks of it, the top of her gear would have to be pulled off over the diva's head. And given the fact that Eve's shoulder was in bad shape... Odds were, she wouldn't be able to lift her arm over her head to get the shirt off. She just wouldn't have the mobility to get it done.

"Somehow I doubt that."

"I can do it."

He sighed. "Not if you can't lift your arm over your head, you can't. Not to mention the ties on the back of your top." He shook his head. "Where's your key card?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your key card," he repeated, and when Eve shot a quick glance at one of the tables in the room, he spotted it, the man going over and grabbing it before Eve could do so. He slipped it into the back pocket of his jeans. He arched a brow at her, noting the look on her face, but very aware that the diva wouldn't try to make a grab for the key card; trying to get it back from him would likely just cause her to hurt herself.

"Give it back," she whispered, and he shook his head, going into the bathroom and grabbing the bucket provided for ice.

"No. What I'm going to do is go and get ice so I can put together a makeshift ice pack for your shoulder, and then I'm going to help you change clothes because we both know you can't do it yourself... And we both know you can't travel home dressed like that," he said, making his way toward the door, then glancing back, taking in the look in her eyes. "And Eve? If you put the chain on the door while I'm gone? I'll just break it down."

"Why are you doing this?" she wanted to know, and Punk eyed her for a moment, then shrugged, not sure if now was the time to let her know about everything Kofi had told him earlier, instead settling for a vague reply that didn't tell her much of anything.

"Because I need to."


	13. Chapter 13

Part Thirteen

CM Punk filled the ice bucket to the brim, a frown on his face as he stood there at the machine. He knew, of course, that he needed to make sure that Eve iced down her shoulder, and he also knew that he needed to help her change out of her ring gear. The problem was that he was pretty sure that she wouldn't appreciate the help. Truthfully, he wasn't entirely sure that Eve had anything on beneath that top she wore - anything beyond maybe some double-stick tape, that is - and he figured she wouldn't like the thought of him seeing her topless. He had no intention of trying anything, and he was planning to do his best not to peek because taking advantage of the situation would be an asshole thing to do, especially after she'd helped him retain the title earlier in the night... But that didn't change the fact that he'd still catch a glimpse of parts of her that he knew Eve most likely did not want him to see. And having to have his help changing would likely just upset and alienate her even more.

"Damn it," he muttered, then jerked at the sound of the female voice behind him.

"Did you find her? Did she answer the door?"

Turning, he found Kaitlyn standing there, the woman giving him an earnest look as she stood there, the bag that she carried telling him that she'd likely just arrived back at the hotel after the show.

He nodded as he looked at the woman. "Yeah." He lifted the ice bucket in his hand. "I, uh, I'm going to try and make her an ice pack. Her shoulder... It's bruised and swollen and..." He took a deep breath. "I'm going to have to help her change out of her gear. There's just... There's no way she can do it herself. Not with the back of the top the way it is, and I think it probably has to go over her head and... Somehow I doubt she has much on beneath that shirt. If anything."

"And you're worried that you helping her will upset her even more," Kaitlyn said quietly, eyeing him as she spoke, and he had the feeling that she was surprised by his obvious discomfort. And the thing was... He was fine with helping Eve out in any way she needed and he was totally going to be a gentleman no matter what he ended up seeing of her tonight... The problem wasn't how he felt; it was that he was concerned about how she felt.

He shrugged his shoulders. "She's exhausted and in pain. She's hurt because she helped me out. I don't want to make things any worse for her... But I know she needs help, whether she wants to admit it or not," he stated, and Kaitlyn heaved out a sigh, shifting her stance a bit as she looked up at him.

"Okay, I'll help," the diva announced, and he frowned at her.

"Excuse me?"

"I'll help her change. Seeing as I'm a woman and have breasts of my own and have in fact been in the same locker room as Eve before... I'm guessing that she'll have less of a problem with me helping her change shirts than she would having you help her and getting an eyeful of the girls," Kaitlyn replied. She arched a brow at him. "And while I imagine you've seen plenty of boobs in your life, I'm guessing you've never seen Eve's girls before?"

He rolled his eyes. "No, I have not seen Eve's 'girls' before, as you put it. And I don't think she'd be overly thrilled if I saw them tonight. Even if I have no intention of trying anything. I just want to help her."

"And I actually believe that. The fact that you're worried about upsetting her just kind of proves it even more. It's sweet, actually... Which is not really a word that I ever thought I'd use in conjunction with you," the woman said, then shrugged when Punk glared at her. "What? It is nice that you're worried about upsetting her like that. Because yeah, you're probably right. Eve doesn't want to give you a free show. But a lot of guys wouldn't think of that... Or if they did, they'd just be prepared to enjoy it."

"You don't think too highly of men, do you?"

"The ones in this company? Not so much. Maybe Kofi Kingston. And your behavior tonight is earning some respect. The way you took care of Eve and are still taking care of her now. You're still a bad ass and occasionally way too sarcastic, but you have your good points," she told him, then gestured to the bag she was carrying. "I'm going to drop my stuff off in my room, then I'll head over to give a hand. I might even have some half-melted ice cream in the mini-fridge that I can bring over." That said, she started to make her way over to her own hotel room, stopping to turn back and look at Punk. "Do you know if Eve has any button-up shirts she can sleep in?"

"No clue. Why?"

"Because I'm guessing a button-up would be easier to get on and off, especially if she has trouble lifting her arm over her head because of the mobility in her shoulder." The diva frowned. "I think I've got something that she can wear. I'll bring it over with me when I come."

Punk nodded slightly, stopping her before she could walk away. "Kaitlyn?"

"Yeah?" she replied, turning to look up at him again.

"Thanks. For actually... For helping out tonight. Giving me Eve's room number, and now... It'll probably be easier on her, getting help from you instead of me."

"It's no biggie. I guess I just... I never jumped on the 'I hate Eve' band wagon as quickly as some of the others. I guess that she maybe made some of the people that did have a few second thoughts tonight."

"I never expected her to help me. So I guess I'm one of those people-"

"Maybe. But you totally took care of her out there. And you're taking care of her now. That has to mean something," the woman replied, and he nodded.

"I guess. I'll see you in a few."

She nodded. "Yeah. And Punk?"

"Yeah?"

"She's going to be okay. It may take a little while, but... She will be. And something tells me that whatever the case, you'll be there for her anyway," Kaitlyn said, unlocking the door to her room and heading inside before Punk had a chance to reply.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

* * *

Part Fourteen

He used the key card to open the door, vaguely relieved that Eve hadn't used the chain to keep him from getting in even with the key... Granted, he'd warned her that he'd break the door down if she did that, and maybe the only reason she hadn't done it was because she'd believed the threat, but he'd still half-expected to find himself locked out when he tried to get back in her room. But no, the door slid open easily once the little green light flashed to let him know the card had been read properly and unlocked the door.

Stepping into the room, he glanced around, frowning as he realized that Eve had retreated from the main part of the room... The closed bathroom door told him that was where she likely was, and he made his way over to the door, setting the ice bucket on the nightstand on the way, then standing at the bathroom door and knocking on it.

"Eve? I'm back. I've got the ice," he told her, reaching up to knock again when he got no response, but then the door to the room opened and he found himself face to face with the woman. She looked even more tired than she had before, her face pale and drawn, and she was no longer wearing the fishnets and shorts that were part of her typical wrestling uniform, her kneepads gone as well, the diva now wearing what looked to be a pair of yoga pants, the drawstring not yet tied. Glancing over her shoulder into the bathroom, he saw the various items scattered around the room... Her wrestling shorts and tights in a heap on the floor, her kneepads on the vanity. Her boots were still in the room by the bed.

"I'm fine," she told him, tone a little belligerent, and he arched a brow at her as he reached out and started working to tie the drawstring on her yoga pants.

"No, you're not. Somehow, you managed to change out of the bottom half of your wrestling gear, and I'm guessing you pretty much did that with one arm. I'll give you that much. But you're still wearing the top of your gear, and we both know you sure as hell aren't getting out of it without help."

"I don't want your help," the diva told him, using her good hand to push her hair back from her face where a few strands were clinging stubbornly to her cheek. Both the strands of hair and her cheeks seemed to be a little wet... He wasn't sure if her face was damp because she'd splashed water on it, or maybe because she'd at some point been crying.

"I'm fully aware of that. But you've got it. I could have helped you with your gear and these pants, you know."

"Yeah, like I'm going to let you see me in my underwear," Eve tossed back, trying to get around him, but seemingly unwillingly to squeeze through the small space between his shoulder and the doorframe... Not too surprising, since she'd likely hit her own shoulder against the door frame if she tried it, and she was in enough pain already and didn't need to do that. Heaving out a sigh, he took a step back so she could get around him, the man not wanting her to feel trapped and get even more upset than she already was. Once she was out of the bathroom and into the main part of the room, Punk reached and grabbed the ice from the nightstand he'd put it on, then stepped into the bathroom and grabbed a hand towel. Quickly and efficiently, he started about the business of putting together a makeshift ice pack for Eve's shoulder.

"You know, Eve, I'm not trying to help you out just so I can catch a peek, okay?" he told her as he worked, the man flicking a look back over his shoulder into the main part of the room, watching as Eve sat down heavily on the bed. It was a little odd, really, seeing her sitting there in yoga pants with her hair down and her makeup gone... But the little sparkly top she'd worn to wrestle in that night still in place.

Sighing, he stepped back, towel filled with ice in hand, the man flicking a look at the door to the room, hoping Kaitlyn would be knocking on it soon. Making his way over toward Eve, he knelt in front of her, then reached out with the hand that didn't have the ice pack in it, the man running gentle fingers over the bruising that had already appeared on her shoulder.

"I'll be fine."

"In a few weeks, maybe," Punk replied, pushing himself up off the floor and sitting next to Eve on the bed. She sat very still as he reached out and brushed her hair out of the way, tension all too evident in her body. "Hey... I'm not doing anything but putting ice on your shoulder. That's it," he told her, carefully putting the makeshift ice pack against her skin, Eve hissing through her teeth at the contact.

"I can sleep in the wrestling top," the diva told him then, and Punk shook his head.

"Probably not comfortable. And we'll have to make sure and find a way to keep your shoulder as immobile as possible, too. But don't worry, I've got someone willing to help out... With the changing part, anyway," the WWE champion said, and Eve's head turned toward his quickly, her hair hitting his face as it whipped around, her gaze suspicious.

"What do you mean, someone to help?" she wanted to know, looking like she thought that he'd... Really, he had no idea what she was thinking, but the look on her face told him it wasn't good. Sighing, he adjusted the pack on her shoulder a little.

"Remember how I told you that someone helped me find you? She gave me your room number? That's because she's staying just a few rooms away. I ran into her in the hallway while I was getting your ice," he told her, his eyes on hers, their faces within a couple inches of one another after the way she'd whipped around to look at him. "Kaitlyn was concerned about you, and pretty much understood why you wouldn't want my help changing. She offered to help you out."

"I don't... Why would..."

"Maybe because she's a decent person. Few and far between in the WWE, I know," Punk said, lifting his free hand and lightly touching Eve's cheek, his eyes still on hers... Both of them jerking a little when there was a sudden knock on the door. Clearing his throat, he rose to his feet, taking Eve's good hand and pressing it over the ice pack to hold it in place. "That should be her now," he muttered, turning and heading for the door, figuring that having Kaitlyn here would help to cut the tension that had sprung up in the room.

He hoped.


End file.
